Developmental Psychology invites manuscripts for a special issue on hidden populations, communities of color who are less well-represented in the developmental research enterprise. Guest Editors are Dawn P. Witherspoon (Pennsylvania State University), Mayra Y. Bámaca-Colbert (Pennsylvania State University), Gabriela L. Stein (UNC Greensboro), and Deborah Rivas-Drake (University of Michigan).
Submission and Review Deadlines:

June 1, 2018 – (abstracts must be submitted to receive preliminary feedback for manuscripts to be considered for review)

August 3, 2018 – (potential authors notified whether their full paper would be considered for review)

November 16, 2018 – submission deadline

February 28, 2019 – first round decision letters

May 31, 2019 – revisions due

July 15, 2019 – final decisions

By 2020, the majority of the U.S. population under 18 years old will be youth of color. The reality of this exponentially diversifying population is not reflected proportionally in the extant developmental literature. Most studies of children and families of color tend to reflect the experiences of those residing in large cities where their racial-ethnic background is well-represented. Although U.S. populations of color are more likely to live in urban environments, extant studies have not fully captured the multiple types of urban environments in which these families settle. Many families of color live in less-studied urban environments that are qualitatively different from major cities, such as Latino families in Tulsa, OK vis-à-vis San Antonio, or Asian American families in Minneapolis relative to Los Angeles. These families--and the development of their youth--are hidden within the research enterprise. Many families of color are also hidden populations within other geographical contexts. For example, families of color are increasingly settling in rural and suburban environments where they are clearly the ethnic/racial minority. Further, there is a scarcity of contemporary studies of middle-class African American families.

For this special issue, we define hidden populations to be communities of color about which developmental science is less established, in part because these communities are found in less-studied urban/metropolitan and non-urban geographic contexts, and/or places where they are the numerical minority. Hidden populations are found across the world, and we welcome manuscripts that examine these experiences beyond the U.S. Moreover, scholars may conceptualize hidden populations in other ways that are complementary to that of the editors.

Authors who plan to submit a manuscript for the special issue are asked to submit an abstract (1-2 single-spaced pages, 1 page of references, 1-2 tables and/or figures) by June 1, 2018, that includes: (a) title, (b) corresponding author contact information, (b) brief description of the content of manuscript (introduction, methods, results), and a brief explanation of the perceived fit with the special issue. Scholars must define what “hidden population” means for their study; clearly identify the developmental phenomenon at the center of the study; and explain what can be gained from a focus on the identified hidden population. Scholars must provide enough detail of the geographical context in which the families, children, and youth of color are embedded (e.g., racial-ethnic composition, SES, historical). Following an initial review, potential contributors will be contacted to submit completed manuscripts by the final deadline of November 16, 2018.

Submit manuscripts using the Developmental Psychology Manuscript Submission Portal: http://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/dev/. Manuscripts should be prepared in accordance with the APA guidelines. Inquiries regarding topic or scope for the special issue can be sent to Dawn Witherspoon at dpw14@psu.edu.